Burial pit shape and skeleton positions: experiment to analyse the variability of geometic morphometry

This article demonstrates the possibilities for applying methods of geometricmorphometry for the analysis of variability of archaeological features taking grave shapeas an example and also positions of skeletons in the Pit-Grave culture of the NorthWest Caspian region. Tn the light of this completed research it is suggested that variousmodifications should be introduced into the typology of pit-graves and the positions ofthe deceased. Oval and clearly rectangular shapes of graves are not distinct types, butextreme manifestations of a normal variation of the only type of sub-rectangular grave.The standard position of the dead - contracted on the back - is also subject to a normaldegree of variability including strong contracting and several variants for the arms position:either slightly bent or stretched out along the sides of the body. Two other types of positionfor the deceased laid on their backs, which are not covered by the normal range of variantsfor positions of the dead, are a position with tightly bent arms (with elbows at a right angleor sharp angle) and with slightly contracted legs